LABOR Party members and affiliates in regional NSW need to come out of the closet if the party is to gain traction in country seats, Charles Sturt University political science expert Dr Troy Whitford believes.
Dr Whitford presented a paper titled Country Labor: a few sheep short in the top paddock, at a conference in Melbourne on Saturday, which was held to discuss the party’s future directions.
Among the problems Dr Whitford identified with the Country Labor brand was the fielding of young and inexperienced candidates with no local profile and a failure to develop distinct policies. His was the only presentation focusing on rural and regional issues.
Despite the tendency for state and federal seats in the country to be held by conservative parties, Dr Whitford said the perception that the Labor Party had little influence in local politics was incorrect.
“A lot of mayors and councillors are actually affiliated with, if not members of the Labor Party, but they don’t come out and say it. They play down the affiliation. Country Labor is going to encourage these people to come out and show the community that Labor isn’t a foreigner in the political landscape. Local governments might say they’re not political, but we know they are,” he said.
Dr Whitford believes choice is important, even in the safest seats. “I tend to think the more competition in rural and regional electorates, the better. The National Party have had a long claim but a more robust Country Labor movement would give voters more of a choice,” he said.
Cabonne councillor and former Labor candidate for the state seat of Orange Kevin Duffy said he did not think politicising councils was the immediate answer to Labor’s woes in the country.
“Until you get a really strong regional local government, I think politics should have a lower profile in local government. Councils need to mature,” he said.
Cr Duffy said he would like to see more high-profile Labor figures visiting regional seats.
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